This is Marie, writing a very small article about a very small chocolate shop. You knew I’d have to come back to sweets, right? Anyway, there is a chocolate shop in Asheville that is my true favorite, but I will cheat on them occasionally with Maison Robert now that we have become acquainted.
Maison Robert is a small chocolate shop tidily tucked away next to a wine shop in one of those funky luxury places that look like they have been made out of the pressure-washed remains of a factory. Grant says all the other places are probably design firms that employ three geniuses. The place is currently in its fourth generation of chocolate artists, the first three of which studied and worked in France and Switzerland according to their site.
The chocolates are very small, very expensive, and very much worth the price. The baby was asleep in the car with his big sister watching out for him, so our visit was extremely short – the girlchild could not be expected to tolerate a non-moving car for much longer than a few minutes, especially since the boychild snores. Cutely and very softly, but nevertheless, it’s snoring. So I bought some dark chocolate wrapped mints, and one each of several kinds of truffle – white chocolate, caramel, dark chocolate and hazelnut. She got her share, of course; I tip generously in food for baby care during these trips.
One note of caution – get a glass of water if you plan to have a beverage after your visit. Don’t, as my husband did, take a sip of something else that clashes. He did not enjoy his treat as much as he should have, or as much as I did, as a result. Maison Robert will be happy to sell you something suitable as well as a salad or sandwich. The chocolate has these wonderful notes that linger on the tongue, and you will want to enjoy the long, lingering flavor that fills your mouth and palate long – very long – after the last nibble has passed.
You know those truffles that are the size of golf balls, chock-full of some kind of spongy stuff and kind of make you feel just a little bit sick after you’ve eaten one? Well, don’t eat them any more. Even though you’ve been spoiled by the size and your eyes will say “gosh those things are small” when you look at the Maison Robert delicacies, each of those marble-sized truffles has ten times the flavor of the big boys. The dark chocolate has just enough bitterness to balance the sugar, the dense creamy center is robust enough to cling to the coating so you don’t wind up with shards of chocolate coating showering your lap when you bite through, and that chocolate flavor just lasts and lasts. I will have to come back in the winter and see what their hot cocoa is like.
Other blog posts about Maison Robert:
Hopeless Foodie (Feb. 17 2010)
The Blissful Glutton (Mar. 17 2010)
Atlanta Etc. (Nov. 25 2010)
The Food and Me (Aug. 1 2011)
You can see all the restaurants that we have visited for our blog on this map, with links back to the original blog posts. It’s terrific for anybody planning a road trip through our area!
Marie, Let's Eat! 
A friend and I were there last week for a class on baguettes, croissants and brioche. I was an Executive Chef for years and this was hands down one of the best classes that I ever took. Lunch was provided and I can say from experience that the pan bagnat was superb. Love the folks there, love the bread, the classes, the food and the chocolates!
I longed for a croissant but had just had lunch – we will definitely try more things when we have a little time to linger!